Lu Ming had always believed that harvesting a plant should be a relatively simple activity.
In his old life, picking something meant bending down, pulling it out of the ground, and possibly washing dirt off afterward. The process did not usually involve cliff edges, spiritual energy, or the constant suspicion that a protagonist might appear behind you at any moment.
Unfortunately, the Frostshade Dewleaf growing from the misty rock face had other ideas.
Lu Ming crouched carefully beside the plant with his satchel open and the jade harvesting knife poised between his fingers. The herb shimmered faintly in the moonlight, its silver veins pulsing with delicate spiritual energy that made the air around it feel strangely cold.
He took a slow breath and tried to steady his nerves.
This was the moment that would determine whether his mission succeeded or whether the entire situation collapsed into chaos. If he cut the stem correctly and stored the herb without damaging it, the system would count the theft as complete.
Shen Qinghe would remain somewhere below investigating the phantom beast noise, and Lu Ming could return to the sect with two hundred villain points and a slightly improved chance of surviving the early arcs of the story.
That was the plan.
Lu Ming leaned closer to the plant and studied the stem carefully.
The inherited memories of the original Lu Ming contained a surprising amount of botanical knowledge. Apparently, young masters of arrogant sect families were expected to learn basic herb harvesting techniques so they could impress elders during cultivation missions.
The correct method required cutting the stem at a specific angle while preserving the dew droplet at the tip of the leaf. If the droplet fell or evaporated, the herb would lose much of its potency.
Lu Ming frowned thoughtfully.
"This feels unnecessarily delicate," he murmured.
The system panel appeared near his shoulder.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Harvesting Procedure Recommended
Cut stem at base while preserving dew formation.
Failure may result in reduced item value.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming gave the glowing panel a sideways look.
"I am deeply aware that ruining the plant would be inconvenient."
The panel blinked once in what he interpreted as silent judgment.
He focused again on the herb.
The mist drifting along the cliff made everything slightly slippery, and the rock surface beneath his boots felt uneven enough that he had to shift his weight carefully to maintain balance.
One wrong movement would send him sliding down a steep incline that ended somewhere far below in the darkness.
The situation was not ideal.
Still, Lu Ming reminded himself that the protagonist had successfully harvested this exact plant in the original story. If Shen Qinghe could do it, then surely someone who had read the entire novel could manage the same task.
He adjusted his grip on the jade knife and slowly lowered the blade toward the stem.
The moment the knife touched the plant, a faint ripple of cold energy spread through the air.
Lu Ming paused.
"That seems ominous," he said quietly.
The herb did not respond, which was rude but expected.
He continued carefully.
The jade blade slid through the stem with surprising ease, releasing a thin thread of pale mist that curled upward before fading into the night air.
Lu Ming held his breath as the plant tilted slightly in his fingers, the dew droplet trembling dangerously at the leaf's tip.
For a terrifying second, it looked as though the droplet might fall.
Lu Ming froze completely.
The droplet quivered once more and then settled back into place.
He exhaled slowly.
"That," he whispered, "was unnecessarily stressful."
The system panel flashed.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Item Obtained
Frostshade Dewleaf
Mission Progress: 90%
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming blinked.
"Ninety percent?"
He looked down at the herb again.
"Why not one hundred?"
The system displayed another line of text.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Mission completion requires successful escape with stolen item.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming's expression darkened.
"That sounds suspiciously like something is about to go wrong."
The mountain wind stirred the mist around him, carrying faint echoes of movement from somewhere along the cliff path.
Lu Ming stiffened.
He turned his head slowly toward the direction he had climbed from.
For a moment, he saw nothing except swirling fog and shadow.
Then a figure stepped quietly through the mist.
Shen Qinghe emerged from the haze like an extremely calm disaster.
Lu Ming's brain briefly stopped functioning.
The protagonist stood several paces down the narrow path, his grey robes stirring gently in the cold mountain air. The silver light of the mist reflected faintly in his eyes as he looked at the herb in Lu Ming's hand.
Neither of them spoke immediately.
Lu Ming felt the urge to throw himself off the cliff purely for dramatic closure.
Shen Qinghe broke the silence first.
"I suspected that noise was a distraction."
Lu Ming opened his mouth.
No useful words came out.
After a moment, he cleared his throat and tried again.
"That depends on how you define distraction."
Shen Qinghe stepped closer, though he remained far enough away to avoid crowding the narrow ledge.
"Senior Brother," he said calmly, "you appear to be harvesting the herb I was about to collect."
Lu Ming considered several possible responses.
All of them were terrible.
The simplest option would have been admitting the theft outright, but that would defeat the purpose of the mission entirely.
The second option involved pretending that he had arrived first through sheer coincidence, though the presence of the fake beast-roar talisman made that explanation somewhat questionable.
After several seconds of desperate calculation, Lu Ming chose the least disastrous lie available.
"I did not realize you were interested in this particular plant."
Shen Qinghe glanced briefly at the Frostshade Dewleaf.
"Few people would climb this far without knowing it was here."
Lu Ming resisted the urge to applaud the protagonist's logical thinking.
"Yes," he admitted reluctantly, "that is a fair observation."
The system panel appeared again.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Protagonist Witness Event
Host must maintain villain role.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming stared at the glowing words.
"You cannot possibly expect me to villain my way out of this."
The system did not clarify.
Shen Qinghe tilted his head slightly.
"You seem distracted."
Lu Ming quickly shoved the herb into his satchel and stood upright.
"Not at all."
The cliff path suddenly felt much narrower than before.
Shen Qinghe watched him with the same thoughtful expression he had shown earlier that evening, though there was now a faint trace of curiosity behind it.
"You used a talisman to lure me away," he said after a moment.
Lu Ming spread his hands innocently.
"That is a serious accusation."
"You also harvested the herb immediately afterward."
"That is circumstantial."
Shen Qinghe's lips twitched slightly.
Lu Ming felt a strange sensation in his chest.
He realized with mild horror that the protagonist might actually be amused.
"That plant," Shen Qinghe continued, "is commonly used in cultivation pills."
Lu Ming nodded cautiously.
"So I have heard."
"You do not appear to practice alchemy."
"That is correct."
Shen Qinghe crossed his arms thoughtfully.
Lu Ming had the uncomfortable impression that the man was solving a puzzle.
"The only reason you would need that herb," Shen Qinghe said slowly, "is to prevent someone else from using it."
Lu Ming blinked.
"That is an extremely dramatic interpretation."
"Is it?"
Shen Qinghe studied him for another moment.
"Senior Brother Lu," he said, "are you sabotaging my cultivation?"
Lu Ming nearly laughed.
The idea was not entirely incorrect, but the reasoning behind it was completely wrong.
"I am deeply offended by that suggestion," he said.
Shen Qinghe raised an eyebrow.
"You stole the herb."
"That is an interpretation."
"You distracted me with a talisman."
"That was unrelated."
"You harvested the plant the moment I turned away."
Lu Ming sighed.
"When you list the events in that order, the situation does appear suspicious."
Shen Qinghe nodded.
"I appreciate your honesty."
"I did not admit anything."
The two of them stood in silence for a moment while the mountain wind shifted around the cliffs.
Lu Ming considered running.
The path behind Shen Qinghe made that option somewhat impractical.
The system panel flickered again.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Mission Completion Available
Escape with item to finalize theft.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming looked at the narrow ledge.
Then he looked at Shen Qinghe.
"Yes," he murmured, "that seems extremely achievable."
Shen Qinghe noticed his gaze.
"You are planning something."
Lu Ming smiled faintly.
"I am considering several things."
He reached slowly into his sleeve.
Shen Qinghe's eyes narrowed slightly.
"If that is another talisman—"
Lu Ming activated it immediately.
A burst of blinding light exploded across the cliff face.
The flare talisman was designed to disorient enemies for several seconds, which Lu Ming hoped would be enough time to create distance between himself and the protagonist.
He moved the moment the light ignited.
Lu Ming darted down the path as quickly as the narrow ledge allowed, gripping the rock wall to keep his balance as he descended through the mist.
Behind him, the flare burned out.
Footsteps followed.
Lu Ming sighed.
"I was hoping that would last longer."
Shen Qinghe's voice drifted through the fog.
"You are surprisingly difficult to catch."
Lu Ming glanced back.
The protagonist was moving down the cliff with effortless precision, his steps sure even on the slippery stone.
Lu Ming accelerated.
The mist thickened as he descended, turning the cliff path into a twisting corridor of pale shadows. Several times he nearly lost his footing, but the original Lu Ming's trained reflexes managed to keep him upright.
Eventually the path widened enough that he could run without hugging the wall.
Lu Ming burst onto the lower slope and headed toward the forest.
Branches whipped past his shoulders as he pushed through the trees, following the faint trail back toward the sect roads.
Behind him, Shen Qinghe's pursuit continued.
Lu Ming glanced upward through the branches.
The moon was now fully visible above the mountain peaks.
"This," he muttered breathlessly, "has become an unnecessary cardio exercise."
The system panel appeared once more.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Mission Status
Escape distance required: 500 meters
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming nearly tripped over a root.
"You could have mentioned that earlier."
He ran harder.
The forest thinned as the trail curved toward a rocky clearing. Beyond the clearing, the path descended toward the sect's outer gates.
Lu Ming sprinted across the open ground.
The moment he reached the far edge, the system chimed.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Mission Complete
Spiritual herb successfully stolen.
Villain Points Earned: +200
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming slowed to a stop.
He bent over slightly, catching his breath while the panel faded from view.
"That," he said between breaths, "was unpleasant."
Footsteps approached behind him.
Lu Ming straightened slowly.
Shen Qinghe stepped into the clearing a few seconds later.
His breathing remained steady.
Lu Ming found that mildly insulting.
The protagonist studied him quietly.
"You could have simply asked for the herb."
Lu Ming shook his head.
"That would defeat the purpose."
"What purpose?"
Lu Ming paused.
Then he shrugged.
"Villainy."
Shen Qinghe looked genuinely puzzled.
"You seem committed to that role."
Lu Ming smiled tiredly.
"You have no idea."
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Shen Qinghe said something unexpected.
"You needed the herb more than I did."
Lu Ming blinked.
"That is… a very generous interpretation."
Shen Qinghe turned toward the path leading back to the sect.
"The mountains are dangerous at night," he said. "We should return."
Lu Ming hesitated.
"Just like that?"
Shen Qinghe glanced back.
"You already stole the herb."
Lu Ming stared at him.
"…You are not going to fight me for it?"
Shen Qinghe considered the question.
Then he shook his head.
"No."
Lu Ming felt a strange mix of relief and confusion.
"That is surprisingly reasonable."
Shen Qinghe began walking toward the sect road.
Lu Ming followed slowly.
After several steps, he asked, "Why did you stop chasing me?"
Shen Qinghe answered without turning.
"You looked very determined."
Lu Ming frowned.
"That seems like a weak reason."
Shen Qinghe paused.
Then he said quietly, "Also, I wanted to see what you would do next."
Lu Ming felt an uncomfortable sensation settle in his chest.
The system panel appeared again.
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Protagonist Interest Level: Increased
──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Lu Ming stared at the glowing words.
"Oh no," he whispered.